The first southwestern Native Americans hunted Mammoths. Then, the mammoth population got low, very low, until they became extinct. Then they hunted buffalo.The traditional staples of the Navajo diet include mutton stew, fry bread, tortillas, fried potatoes with corned beef and spam, and they love do drink coffee, even when it is not mealtime, coffee is always a welcome and expected beverage of choice of the Navajo adults.
Quick Facts
The Navajo people planted beans, squash and corn. These plants are called the three sisters because they help each other grow.
Red, yellow and blue corn is the most important food in the Navajo tradition.
Hundred of years ago the Navajo hunted deer and prairie dogs.
Fry bread and mutton (sheep) were common dishes to the Navajo's
Navajo women grinned dry corn with a stone, afterwards it can then be used to make bread or tortillas
Food Pyramid
If you click the following link, it should show you a page that includes a food pyramid on the Navajo food, I think it is very detailed and it includes lot's of information. Food Pyramid
Navajo Fried bread is a recipe that is very important to the Navajo tribe. Though the tradition of fry bread is common among many Southwestern Tribes, it is the Navajo who developed this recipe.
Navajo Tacos look, to my opinion, very good. Here is the recipe. 1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, minced
2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Pinto beans, cooked and seasoned
Grated cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Mix meat, onion, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce in a skillet. You should cook it until it is brown. While that is cooking, you should be making some fried bread for your taco to go in.I will give you that recipe too.
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
4 cup of flour
2 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
Beat eggs then add milk. Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder while mixing well. Roll out dough very thin on a floured board. Cut into desired shapes.
Fry in deep fat until brown. Drain on absorbent paper. In center of one fry bread put two tablespoons pinto beans then top with meat sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve hot.
Sounds fun!
Mutton is the flesh of fully grown sheep. It sounds pretty gross but that is one of the dishes that the Navajo tribe had. If you would like to try it, here is how to make it.
1 pound of mutton or lamb
1 medium squash or fresh corn
1-2 large potato
3/4 cup green chili
1 small onion
2-3 sticks of celery
4 cups if water
1 pinch of salt
Anotated Bibliography
Detterick, Cynthia. "Navajo Fried Bread and Indian Tacos." Navajo Fried Bread History. Whats cooking america. 28 Nov. 2008 <http://whatscookingamerica.net/history/navajofrybread.htm>. This is a really useful website on how to make and cook fried bread. I am going to use this site to cook fried bread for the museum.
Lassieur, Allison. The Navajo. United States of America: Enslow, 2005. This book includes great diagrams.
Santella, Andrew. The Navajo. 2002: CHILDREN'S PRESS. This book discusses the Navajo was of life, including their traditions, legends, families and homes, not a lot on food though.
"Explore The Navajo Nation." Native Americans. American west. 28 Nov. 2008 <http://www.americanwest.com/pages/indians.htm>. I think that this site has a lot of the Navajo information that my group needs but they don't have a lot of information about food.
"Traditional Navajo Food Pyramid." Traditional Navjo Food Pyramid. 3 Dec. 2008 <http://reta.nmsu.edu/sacred/lesson/pdfs/food_pyramid.pdf>. Ithink that this site has a lot of information about Navajo food and it is just like Jocelyn and I have been looking for.
Table of Contents
General Knowledge
The first southwestern Native Americans hunted Mammoths. Then, the mammoth population got low, very low, until they became extinct. Then they hunted buffalo.The traditional staples of the Navajo diet include mutton stew, fry bread, tortillas, fried potatoes with corned beef and spam, and they love do drink coffee, even when it is not mealtime, coffee is always a welcome and expected beverage of choice of the Navajo adults.Quick Facts
Food Pyramid
If you click the following link, it should show you a page that includes a food pyramid on the Navajo food, I think it is very detailed and it includes lot's of information.
Food Pyramid
Recipes
Navajo Fried bread is a recipe that is very important to the Navajo tribe. Though the tradition of fry bread is common among many Southwestern Tribes, it is the Navajo who developed this recipe.Navajo Tacos look, to my opinion, very good. Here is the recipe.
1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, minced
2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Pinto beans, cooked and seasoned
Grated cheese
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Mix meat, onion, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce in a skillet. You should cook it until it is brown. While that is cooking, you should be making some fried bread for your taco to go in. I will give you that recipe too.
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
4 cup of flour
2 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of salt
Beat eggs then add milk. Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder while mixing well. Roll out dough very thin on a floured board. Cut into desired shapes.
Fry in deep fat until brown. Drain on absorbent paper. In center of one fry bread put two tablespoons pinto beans then top with meat sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve hot.
Sounds fun!
Mutton is the flesh of fully grown sheep. It sounds pretty gross but that is one of the dishes that the Navajo tribe had. If you would like to try it, here is how to make it.
Anotated Bibliography